Dozens of Kurdish protesters have stormed into the European Parliament building in Brussels, demanding swift military action against militants from the Islamic State group to save the majority-Kurd Syrian town of Kobani from annihilation.
Some 50 protesters waving flags, some of them depicting Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) broke through security at the EU legislature and occupied the VoxBox multimedia stage.
#Brussels#OccupyEP RT "@michelreimon: about 50 kurdish protesters inside EP, peaceful & quiet. #kobanepic.twitter.com/KXQ9W8myOo" #Kobani
— tanja malle (@scharlatanja) October 7, 2014
The Brussels incident comes after Kurds also entered the Dutch parliament building in The Hague in a similar protest overnight.
READ: ‘Stop ISIS!’ Kurdish protesters storm Dutch parliament in The Hague (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
More pictures of #EP#Kurds@Europarl_ENpic.twitter.com/TgCAxpophB
— Parliamonster (@Parliamonster) October 7, 2014
Kurds in Europe want EU authorities to lend more concrete military aid to the US-led coalition opposing the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, or ISIL). The militants, who have the goal of creating a Sunni Islamist state in parts of Iraq and Syria, have been conducting a terror campaign against minorities, including Kurds, in the areas under their control.
READ: 'Unite against ISIS!’ Kurds occupy London’s busiest Tube station
Kurds make through security cordon. Portuguese MEP addressing them. 'EU is answer to ISIS,' she claims implausibly pic.twitter.com/UdnTDZsmiA
— Bruno Waterfield (@BrunoBrussels) October 7, 2014
The scene of the fiercest battle in the last few days is Kobani, a predominantly Kurdish town on the Syrian-Turkish border. Islamic State attacks prompted thousands of Kurdish civilians to flee across the border.
READ: Kobani is 'about to fall' to jihadists - Turkey's president
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Demonstranten überrumpeln Security des EP während #EPhearing2014
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Kurdish protesters in Brussels, now heading away from Parliament pic.twitter.com/C9yMHTnwgT
— Renee Cordes (@rscordes) October 7, 2014
#Kurdish protesters broke through security, stormed into EU #Parliament, made "VoxBox" area true stage of vox populi pic.twitter.com/TNW4UvGGwd
— Tomasz Rusek (@T_Rusek) October 7, 2014
In Turkey on Tuesday, Kurdish protesters again clashed with police on the border with Syria. The area remains turbulent as the Turkish authorities are struggling to deal with an influx of refugees. Demonstrations, including by some Kurdish fighters, are demanding a military intervention in Kobani.
READ MORE: Anti-ISIS rally in Turkey turns violent: Tear gas, clashes, fatality (PHOTOS)
Protesters are burning statues of Atatürk, the first President of Turkey. pic.twitter.com/lfgHXYf17t
— Rekka (@Rekka_K) October 7, 2014
In Berlin, some 600 Kurdish residents of the city took to the streets with calls to support the anti-ISIS military campaign.
In London, Kurds occupied Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2. The action comes a day after Monday’s demonstration at the Oxford Circus tube station in central London, which temporarily shut it down.
LONDON; Kurds Occupy Heathrow airport now @Hevallo@AmedDcle@AJANSAMED@mutludc@Kurd24Npic.twitter.com/1d3Rszpzsx
— neşe kayacan (@tigramed) October 7, 2014